“Nobody Writes About The Bad Days”

I recently read a post on a social media site which said: “There is no losing in fishing. You either catch or you learn”. The past week, I had two botched fishing trips. When I say botched, I don’t mean skunked but they certainly didn’t produce either the size or species I was after. I felt myself getting a little aggravated and into an angler’s funk. I decided to step back and evaluate the circumstances. It was time to appreciate the value in these events and, most importantly, to learn from them. So, for this article I have decided to cover what nobody likes to write about… “the bad days”.

Let’s go back a bit. A few weeks ago, I started fishing a spot which seems to always hold some nice redfish. It is not a secret spot but it is a spot which is not frequented by kayak anglers. I suspect that this may be partially due to its difficulty. The location is a large marsh flat with very skinny water. I would estimate that the average depth is only 12 – 20”. Of course, this is not what makes it difficult in and of itself. Rather it is the fact that this skinny water is also inundated with reef and rocks. Now I think you can start to appreciate the difficulty with the area a little more. Some would probably pass on this location but I can’t. The sight of so many reds, even some bulls, all throughout this marsh is to tempting. I have had great success with topwater there but let’s face it, not everyday is a good topwater day. So, I set out to improve my technique to get just below the surface, with a slow or even paused retrieve, while trying to avoid the many snags and such below. Here in lies my “botched” fishing trips. For the sake of brevity, I will say that I have run into a vast array of difficulties. I have landed some fish but I have lost more and we all know anglers don’t like to lose fish. After the aggravation, I have come to understand that either I will perfect my technique or I will learn another way to do it. Either way, I will become a better angler. And as for the reds in that little marsh, they will be mine!

What can we learn from the bad days? Every time we get on the water there is an opportunity to learn. If you go to a location and get skunked, there is something to learn. Maybe it is not a spot that holds fish or maybe doesn't hold fish at the time you are there. Either way you have learned something. Some who have fished with me jokingly make comments about me being a marathon kayaker. This is because if I am not having a good day of fishing, I have been known to put some miles on my paddle. I always try to turn these situations into opportunities to find fish or to at least find new and promising fishing locations, which I can return to another day. In some instances, I have learned places that I will not return to.

If you are having a “bad day”, just step back and try to evaluate what you can learn from your present situation. Sometimes it is hard to do and I say that from experience. We can always improve or learn new techniques, new lures to use, new locations, fish patterns, and the list goes on. More importantly, don’t be ashamed of having such days. If you aren’t having these days, then you are cutting your opportunities to learn. The learning is what separates great anglers from… well, everybody else. In my opinion, a true angler is the one that is consistently out on the water, “beating the banks”, and learning. Remember, “Nobody writes about the bad days” but even the greatest angler has them.

(Please feel free to comment below. I would like to hear from you. Your experiences, your tips, or just a hello... I would like to hear it!)